With the Q3 Sportback in 45 TFSIe trim, Audi has an interesting model. A few years ago, plug-in hybrids were hard to come by thanks to the tax benefits associated with them. Then it got quiet, very quiet. In recent years, however, plug-in hybrids have made a remarkable comeback. A test with the 245 hp strong 45 TFSI-e, which is hardly more expensive than the Audi Q3 Sportback with 35 TFSI without plug and ‘only’ 150 hp.
Choosing the plug-in version is not that difficult. As a 45 TFSIe with 245 hp, the Q3 Sportback S Edition is hardly more expensive than a 150 hp strong 35 TFSI with automatic transmission, which then does not offer the option of electric driving. The Q3 has the powertrain that we know from the Volkswagen Golf GTE and is therefore a front-wheel drive. The plug-in hybrids of the Volkswagen Group are the only models in the range still equipped with a 1.4 T(F)SI and a six-speed DSG, while the petrol range now has a 1.5 and a seven-speed gearbox. However, that’s not a drawback as long as it works well, and it does. Weighing in at 1,715 kg, the Q3 is well served with this drivetrain. Funnily enough, when driving calmly, it is quieter on petrol than on electricity, because the warning sound for pedestrians is then quite present. However, the 1.4 is clearly heard when the gas goes to the bottom. The dual-clutch automatic transmission shifts as we are used to, lightning-fast and jerk-free. For PHEV standards, he is quite flexible, although he does occasionally take a ‘thinking moment’.
Lightning fast touchscreen
Inside the car it all looks neat, which also applies to the dashboard. The Audi treats its user to fine, high-quality and above all physical buttons on the center console and steering wheel. The touchscreen is not very large by contemporary standards, but it reacts very quickly and is linked to an extensive set of digital instruments. Maybe the Audi interior looks a bit business-like, but the finish and quality impression is really nothing to argue with. The seating position is fine, but not perfect thanks to a somewhat more limited adjustability of the steering wheel. There are, however, a few things that are a bit out of place. For example, a little too much of the same matte black plastic has been used on the door panels and the unused buttons are simply covered with a simple plate.
At Audi you can have the Q3 equipped with black logos, but of course there is much more to choose from. That starts with the body shape, because the plug-in hybrid is also available as a ‘normal’ Q3 and as the Sportback tested here. It distinguishes itself with a lower and faster sloping roofline and is therefore a ‘coupé SUV’ of the traditional kind. For a car in that category, the Q3 Sportback looks quite harmonious in our opinion, but this body shape is of course not very practical. Although Audi promises a good number of liters under the parcel shelf, it quickly stops stacking up there. Practical in that regard is the sliding rear seat. For passengers in the back seat, the headroom is limited, so if you regularly go out with adults, it is better to opt for a normal Q3. Remarkable detail: the charging cable must be put in a neat, but space-consuming bag.
Many options
If you spend more than half a ton for a car, you expect it to sit nicely in its stuff, but in the case of the Q3, that is a bit disappointing. Even as a thickly dressed S-Line, the car has to do it, for example, with manually adjustable and only partly leather-covered seats. Worse is that we get an old-fashioned flip key pressed into our hands, from a model that has been supplied on all kinds of Audis since at least 2008. Of course, the Germans supply a start button and a hipper key for a few hundred euros extra, but these kinds of things should just be standard.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl